Dialog in the Dark

Guided by an unfamiliar cane, I test the ground to feel where the dirt ends and the lawn begins. Continuously bumping into my visually deprived comrades, I brush against what I believe to be a bush, so I reach out to touch the leaves with my fingers. The sound of birds chirping and the smell of grass indicate I’m in a park.

I follow Jody’s voice - he is our visually impaired guide - through the park and suddenly hear the sounds of traffic rushing by on a busy street. I stop and use my cane to find the curb, but find myself bumping into a bicycle and car bumper before I reach the solid pole holding what I’m told is the traffic light. Jody then assures the group it is safe to cross…

What am I doing, you ask? I am learning to navigate Dialog in the Dark, an exhibit in which visually impaired guides lead sighted visitors through totally darkened, yet multi-textured environments inside Atlantic Station in Atlanta, Georgia. Andreas Heinecke, a German philosopher, designed the exhibit to increase awareness of the challenges of disability, while demonstrating the world is not "less," just different for the disabled.

In addition to the park and busy street, the exhibit includes a grocery, a kitchen, a boat ride and ends in a café. In the café, you are given the opportunity to blindly purchase beverages and chat with your guide about the experience.

If Dialog in the Dark comes to your city, I highly recommend the experience!